Where It All Began
by housepotterNCIS
Summary: Stars Hollow wasn't Lorelai's first stop when she left her parents' house. Come back to where it all began-Lorelai is 17 at the beginning of this story, and Rory is 14 months. Will eventually be a Luke/Lorelai, but will take a while to get there. What does it take to make it on your own as a teen mom? (Rated M just in case)
1. Of Beginnings and Endings

_**A/N: Edited this chapter... Because apparently when I copied it into a document the first time around, a bunch of scenes got repeated in weird places. Major apologies! It's fixed now. Would love some reviews-let me know what you like, what you hate, etc.**_

 **February 3rd, 1986**

 **Evening**

Lorelai stepped off the plane in Fort Myers, Florida. It had been a long plane ride-a one way ticket with no layovers. Rory had been a champ, though. She was currently asleep, her forehead pressed against Lorelai's shoulder, her little brown curls glistening in the fluorescent lighting of the airport. Lorelai wanted to wake her-to celebrate with her-but there would be plenty of time to celebrate when Rory was a little better rested. Instead she crossed the waiting area and took a look out the windows. Not a snowflake in sight. That didn't have to be a bad thing, though, Lorelai assured herself. She'd waited until February to leave her parents' house, not so cruel as to leave during the holidays. She'd seen plenty of snow.

And what about next year? She shoved the question out of her mind. Next year was next year's problem. If this was the right home for her and Rory she was sure that she would make it work. And if not... well, then, they'd move on. Lorelai had started as far south in Florida as she could get by plane. They'd travel north until they found a home. And if they didn't find a home before they wound up back in Hartford, well then she'd admit defeat and do it her parents' way. But she wasn't giving up until then. And it was a long way to Hartford-she was sure she'd be able to make this work.

Rory stirred in her arms, pulling back to look at Lorelai with wide blue eyes.

"Hey, baby," Lorelai said. "You have a nice nap?"

Rory wriggled in her arms. Lorelai looked around the airport. There were swarms of people, and part of her was certain that her parents would have lawyers after them already. Lorelai had meant to wait until April, until her 18th birthday, to leave home, but once she'd made up her mind that she was leaving it had been impossible to put it off that long. She would just have to wait until April to call home. Surely she and Rory would be settled by then and she'd have more to tell them anyway.

Rory wriggled again, trying to get down from Lorelai's arms.

"You have to wait." Lorelai shifted Rory so that her baby could look out at all the people. "I don't want you to get lost. Once we get your walker from baggage claim you can sit in that, though, okay?"

Rory pressed one fist against her mouth and began to suck on her index finger. Lorelai assumed that was the most agreement she was going to get. She adjusted the diaper bag she was carrying in her Rory-free arm and then angled them towards the baggage claim.

GGY1

The scarf that he'd _told_ the maid to put out was in his closet, precisely where he'd told the maid it was that morning. Richard wrapped it around his neck, rolling his eyes at the inconvenience, and started back down the stairs. As he walked he called to Emily, "I'm surprised at you, Emily. These are _your_ friends we're seeing tonight. You would have thought my appearance would be a priority for you. _I_ didn't want to go to this thing in the first place. I have an early meeting in the morning, and I would much rather go to bed and ignore the fact that the symphony has to reupholster the mezzanine this year."

He stepped into the kitchen... and froze. Emily, his strong, unflappable Emily, was crying. A piece of paper was clutched against her chest. Richard swallowed hard. In a cautious voice he said, "Emily?"

She continued to cry, clutching the letter as if it were a lifeline.

"Emily?" He took a step closer to her.

Emily whirled, slapping the letter against his chest. "You win, Richard. We're not going." And before Richard had a chance to react with more than a bemused look, Emily had fled back up the stairs toward their bedroom.

Richard grabbed the letter and peered down at it.

 _Dear Richard and Emily,_

 _We don't belong here. We're going somewhere else._

 _We'll call you when we get there._

 _Love,_

 _Lorelai and Rory_

He felt cold inside. And in that moment, staring at the careful scrawl of his only child-his pride and joy-his only thought was that she'd called him Richard, not dad, as if he was some boss she was turning her resignation in to. He closed his eyes, setting the letter back on the table, and turned numbly towards the stairs.

GGY1

Lorelai wheeled Rory's stroller in front of her. The diaper bag was tucked underneath the stroller, and she'd looped her purse over the handlebars. On her back she carried a large backpack-the sort she and Christopher had once planned to carry through Europe-which held the rest of their possessions. It was much less than Lorelai had at the Gilmore household, but it would be enough. It had to be enough.

"Snow!" It was Rory's first word when they got outside, said, Lorelai thought, with a little bit of sadness.

"The snow's all gone," Lorelai told her daughter. It was warm in Florida-much warmer than Connecticut, at least 60 degrees, maybe more. Lorelai was still dressed in her Connecticut clothing, and her sweatshirt felt far too warm. She sighed, looking around the unfamiliar road. It was too late to try to find a job tonight, but Lorelai didn't want their first day in their new life to be spent in a hotel.

"What do you think, Rory?" Lorelai asked. "You want some dinner?"

Rory clapped her hands in excitement.

"Perfect." Lorelai saw a Denny's down the road. She liked Denny's-they were family friendly, and Richard and Emily hated them which made it all the better. Lorelai bit her lip, wondering if this was a good idea. The eight hundred dollars she had in her purse felt like a lot of money-more money than she'd ever had at one time before-but she knew that with hotel fares and the likes the money would disappear quickly. With luck she'd be able to find a job before then, but otherwise... Lorelai shook her head, not wanting to think about it.

When she pushed open the door to the restaurant, she decided it was her lucky day. There was a _Now Hiring_ sign in the window. A pretty red-headed woman approached them. "Just the two of you, dear?"

"Yes," Lorelai said. "And a job application, please."

The woman lead then to a table in the corner. Lorelai decided that she was a good sort-she didn't give them too strange a look considering Lorelai was laden with bags. _This was going to work_ Lorelai thought. The waitress handed her a job application along with a menu.

"Thank you." Lorelai glanced at the menu, and then set it aside in favor of the application. "Excuse me? Um, my daughter and I are currently relocating to Florida. We're staying in the GrandStays Hotel right now. Do I just put that where it says address?"

"I guess I would." The waitress shrugged and gave an apologetic smile.

"Right." Lorelai nodded. "And I don't have a phone number..."

The woman stared at her. "I have no idea. But the boss would have to be able to get hold of you somehow."

"Right..." Lorelai swallowed. "Right, yeah, I'll figure it out."

GGY1

"You did a great job today, Lucas." Maisy's smile was bright and warm. "You should be very proud of yourself."

Luke rubbed the back of his neck, not knowing how to take the praise.

Buddy said, "Your parents would have been proud."

Luke snorted. "Dad would have called me a fool."

"Only because you left the hardware sign above the door." Maisy's eyes crinkled with merriment.

They were the only ones Luke would let give him a hard time about that. Maisy and Buddy were like a second set of parents to him, and they had been invaluable in helping him transform his dad's store to his diner. _His_ diner. The thought was odd. How could he be a business owner? He was only twenty-three!

"It'll get easier." Buddy clapped a hand on his shoulder, seeming to have an innate way of knowing what Luke was thinking.

"We were scared to death when we opened the tavern," Maisy admitted. "But you just have to go about it one day at a time, and before you know it you'll be as old as we are!"

Luke smiled. "Thank you-both of you. Really."

GGY1

"Okay." Lorelai dropped her backpack on the floor of the room, letting out a sigh as her back slowly relaxed. She and Christopher had been crazy to dream of backpacking across Europe… and yet it felt good to know that she had done this on her own. She and Rory were here, they were good, they were strong. She unbuckled Rory and lifted her sleeping body up. There was a bit of sticky syrup on Rory's face from the pancakes, but she was otherwise clean and healthy looking. The day's travels had her no worse for the wear. Lorelai tucked her baby girl in on the bed. It was the only place to put her, and yet Lorelai felt a moment's panic. Rory had never slept in a bed before. What if she rolled out?

Twenty minutes later Lorelai crawled into the bed, her sweatshirt tucked under her head. She had surrounded the bed with pillows and blankets: If Rory rolled off, it would be onto something soft. She'd be okay. They both would be.

GGY1

 **February 4th, 1986**

Richard lifted himself out of bed, careful not to disturb his wife. Emily had spent most of the night crying, falling at last into a fitful sleep a few hours before the alarm went off. It was best, he thought, to let her sleep for now. He would go to work, and while he was there he would make some of the phone calls he'd felt too numb to make the night before. He would call Stroeb and Francine, though he was sure his daughter would not have sought shelter there. He would call her other friends… As he diligently selected a tie from his closet, he knew it would be a futile effort. His daughter was many things, but she wasn't a liar. If she said she was gone, he knew that she would be gone-truly gone. She didn't even have a credit card he could hope to track.

As he stepped out of the walk-in closet, his clothes selected, Emily began to stir. She blinked a moment through the predawn light, sighed, and fell back to sleep. Richard let out a slow breath and made a mental note to tell the maid to bring Emily up something to eat in a few hours.

Emily was not able to be strong right now. Richard had to be.

GGY1

"Right." Lorelai smiled at her daughter. "We're gonna get you dressed, and then we're gonna drop that application off at Denny's, and then we're gonna go to the library. You're gonna love it there. There are tons and tons of fun books for you to look at while Mommy looks for a job."

"Job," Rory pronounced solemnly.

"Right. Mommy needs a job." Lorelai unzipped the backpack and sifted through it for some clothes for Rory. She located a t-shirt and pants for Rory. She'd pack a sweatshirt in the diaper bag with Rory's spare clothes, but she suspected that it would be warm enough here for Rory to be happy with the short sleeves.

"Arms up!" Lorelai said pleasantly. Rory lifted her arms, giggling happily, and Lorelai swapped one shirt for another quickly. Rory was an easy child. She didn't know how she'd handle all of this if Rory was a demon child, but even this early into Rory's life, Lorelai felt like Rory was her best friend. She didn't know what that said about her, but most of her friends had left her high and dry when news of her pregnancy got out, and she'd never been on good terms with her parents, which left Rory.

Once she and Rory were both dressed and the diaper bag was packed, Lorelai strapped Rory into the stroller and went down to the lobby.

The concierge gave her a distracted look. "Yes?"

"I wanted to get a map." Lorelai smiled. "How far away's the library?"

"About twenty miles." The concierge fished in his desk and pulled out a wrinkled, worn-looking map. He slid it across the counter to Lorelai.

"Twenty miles?" Lorelai looked at him in surprise. She had been hoping to walk.

"It's a big town." The concierge shrugged.

"Right." Lorelai's mind was going fast. Cars were easily a couple thousand dollars. There was no way she'd be able to afford one, which meant that she and Rory would wind up taking the bus or taxi daily in this sort of town. That, plus daycare… She'd never make enough to live that way making minimum wage. She shook her head, settled. "Right. Well, my daughter and I are site-seeing here in Florida. We wanted to be able to walk around-enjoy the weather. What would you recommend for a smaller town?"

"If you're looking for something relatively nearby, I guess I'd go to Dunedin or Tarpon Springs," the man said. "They're about two and a half hours up the coast-not too far from Tampa. It's pretty there."

"Awesome." Lorelai nodded. "Is there a...bus?"

The man sighed heavily. He reached into the drawer and pulled out another pamphlet. "Look. There's a bus that goes from the station by the airport to Tampa twice a day. It's a three hour ride. Then you can go to the Northwest Transfer Center, and then take a bus to Tarpon Springs or Dunedin-whichever you prefer. It'll take you at least five hours going that way. Frankly, you'd be better off renting a car."

Lorelai nodded that she understood, but then she touched a finger to pamphlet he'd showed her. "Can I keep this?"

"Knock yourself out, kid."

"Right." Lorelai pulled the pamphlet towards herself. She wheeled Rory out front and sat on a bench. "Change of plans, Rory. I don't think this is the right town for us-I think we'll get lost if we stay here. So we're gonna go north. Tarpon Springs sounds pretty, right? We can't rent a car-they won't rent to someone my age, and I don't have a credit card anyway-but we can take a bus. It will be an adventure."

Rory had her fist in her mouth again. She kicked her feet a little. Lorelai sighed, running a hand through her hair. They were going to run out of money. The hotel room, plus dinner last night, had cost her sixty bucks, and bussing to Tarpon Springs could cost another fifty easy. At that rate they wouldn't be able to live on their own a week. She needed income-desperately.

As if to emphasize her point, Rory placed a hand on her stomach and said, "Umnums!"

"We do need breakfast, don't we?" Lorelai rocked Rory's stroller slightly, thinking. She reached into the diaper bag and pulled out a pack of peanut butter cookies she'd stashed in the bag. "Let's start with this, baby. You eat these, and I'll get us packed up and I'll figure out where we're heading next, okay?"

GGY1

Richard set the phone gently in the cradle. He'd called the last number he could think of. No one had seen Lorelai. Stroeb and Francine had been prepared to charge her with kidnapping, but of course Lorelai had custody of Rory-Christopher had signed his rights away at Lorelai's request-and they didn't have a case. Richard had been tempted to keep his mouth shut-a court appearance would at least force Lorelai to come home for a while-but in the end he pointed out their mistake. He didn't want the next time he saw his granddaughter to be on the back of a milk carton.

He's gotten no work done all day. The meeting that morning had been unproductive at best, and then he'd shut himself up in his office and made phone calls. He knew he should work on some of the cases he had on his desk, but he couldn't even bring himself to touch them. Instead he picked up the phone and dialed the house.

Emily answered almost immediately. "Lorelai?"

"It's just me, Emily," Richard said quietly. "I wanted to check in to see how you were doing."

"How do you think I'm doing, Richard?" Emily's tone was brittle. "They could be anywhere! They could be dead for all we know!"

"They're not dead," Richard said.

"How do you know?"

"Lorelai a smart girl," Richard said. "She has a solid head on her shoulders. She's always been very independent. I'm sure they're fine."

"Richard…" Emily's voice cracked. He could hear her crying, and felt helpless to do anything about it. Before he could form a reply, the phone went dead; she'd hung up.

Richard sank, his head lowering into his hands. What were they supposed to do? How were they supposed to continue on? Lorelai had been Emily's whole life. What was she going to do now?

GGY1

"It's less than three miles from the hotel to the library," Lorelai told Rory happily. "That will be great, right?"

Rory clapped her hands, and although Lorelai suspected her daughter was reacting to her tone more than her words, she still felt good about it. Her stomach was taut with hunger: She'd made oatmeal from a packet for Rory in the hotel microwave, but she'd neglected her own breakfast. The oatmeal was for Rory, and Lorelai didn't feel good about buying food for herself until she felt a little more certain about her next move.

Rory was being a champ. They'd been on two busses already, and were on their third. She'd made sure Rory was able to run around between stops, and had unstrapped her on the bus and set her on the seat beside her. Rory seemed happy to look out the window and play with the toys Lorelai had for her in the diaper bag. And now they were on the last stretch. They'd be in Tarpon Springs by two o'clock. Lorelai had already called ahead and booked a room for them at a hotel. Luckily there wasn't much traffic this time of year-too many kids were in school.

"Umnums?" Rory asked, pouting slightly at her mother.

"We'll grab something to eat when we get there," Lorelai promised. She couldn't put off her own gnawing stomach forever. Hopefully the late lunch would be enough for her for the evening. Rory would wind up with oatmeal for dinner again. Lorelai doubted that her daughter would complain, but she would have to come up with something better soon.

Rory bounced happily on her seat, reaching a hand out for a toy truck. She wheeled it up and down the seat. Lorelai sat back, content for now.

GGY1

There was a knock on the bedroom door and then the maid entered, carrying a tray with some sort of food on it. Emily watched as the woman set the tray down on the end table and opened the blinds. She watched a stranger move about her house, and she felt numb.

Emily had wanted a house full of children. She'd wanted to be a mother more than anything-and she'd wanted to provide children for Richard, of course. But it had taken them nearly three years to conceive Lorelai, and the birth had been so difficult...

She'd given Lorelai the best of everything, and all of her attention. She'd made sure Lorelai would want for nothing, as if having the perfect daughter might make up for all the children she hadn't been able to have. And now Lorelai was gone, gone with a granddaughter she had barely been able to know. And Emily had nothing left to live for.

GGY1

Rory wheeled her toy truck up and down the seat of the bus until a few moments before the bus screeched to a stop. Lorelai stood, hefting the diaper bag, her oversized backpack, and Rory up, and then grabbing the handle of the stroller. She struggled down the aisle. The stroller kept catching on the legs of seats, and when that wasn't catching her backpack was. The other passengers on the bus shot her ugly looks, and Rory squirmed uncomfortably in her arms.

"Down!" Rory whined, tugging at Rory's shirt.

"Just a minute, Rory." Lorelai sighed, shifted her diaper bag, and looped Rory around to her hip.

"No!" Rory tugged on Lorelai's hair. "Down. _Down_!"

"I know, baby, I know." Lorelai stumbled down the three steps of the bus onto the sidewalk. She dropped the stroller just outside the bus doors, and struggled to right it without tipping herself over beneath the weight of the backpack.

"Down!" Rory wiggled, and suddenly she was out of Lorelai's arms, her tiny feet touching the pavement.

"Rory-"

And Rory was gone, sprinting wildly for the street.

GGY1

The lunch rush had died down, and if today was anything like yesterday Luke could expect a lull for a few hours before dinner. It gave him time to press an ice pack to his head. He had a hell of a headache. The day before-opening day-he'd smacked his head on the tile floor in the back room when he passed out, and he had a pretty little lump and an on-and-off headache to show for it.

The diner was actually going well. Taylor, some old associate of his dad's, was mad that he hadn't taken down the _William's Hardware_ sign, but he seemed to be the only one confused by the change. Everyone else in town had known he was going to be changing things around. It might have been easier to keep the hardware business going-Luke had been working in his dad's store since he was a kid, and he knew the routine-but after his dad passed away in November 1984, Luke knew he couldn't work in a hardware store any more. It was too hard.

"Hello?" a voice called from the front room.

Luke frowned, shoving the ice pack back in the freezer. He needed something above the door-a bell or something-so he knew when customers came in. He lumbered out to the front room and found himself face-to-face with a round-faced youth.

"Hi," the boy said.

"Hi." Luke stared at him impassively. "You want something? Burger?"

"No." The boy shoved his hands into his pockets. "I… I was just wondering if you were thinking of hiring anyone to help with the diner."

Luke frowned. He would need to hire someone eventually-there was no way he could run the whole thing by himself indefinitely-but he'd been planning to see how the first couple of weeks went before putting out applications. He wanted to know how much traffic his diner drummed up. "I dunno, kid. I just opened…"

"I'd really like to work here," the boy said. "I'll do whatever you need-I can wash dishes or sweep the floor or wait tables. I'm really nice and people like me."

"How old are you?" Luke asked.

"Sixteen," the boy said. "That's old enough to work if I get a permit from school saying my grades are good. And they are."

"Why do you wanna work here?" Luke frowned.

"It's walking distance to the school." The boy jutted his chin towards the school. "We don't have a car."

Luke shook his head. "Your parents would be okay with you picking up a job?"

"My mom," the boy said. "And yeah. She, uh… It'd be really good if I had a job."

Luke frowned. Something about the boy's demeanor made him guess there was something going on at home-he wasn't sure what. "What's your name, kid?"

"Manny," the boy said. "Um. Emanuel Martinez."

Luke frowned. He would need help around the diner eventually, and hiring the boy would be easier than putting together a job application and having to go through a bunch of interviews, but he didn't know what was going on, or why the boy was asking for a job here. He was only sixteen. He said, "Let me think about it, okay? Come by tomorrow-I'll have an answer for you then."

Manny's eyes widened in gratitude. "Thanks, Mister."

Luke shook his head. "Just call me Luke."

GGY1

The moment went in slow motion: Rory slipped away, and her bags were falling, and Rory was running for the street, almost right in front of the bus… And then suddenly Rory was in the air, swung into the arms of a fair-haired stranger with blue eyes.

"Oh my God," Lorelai whispered. "I… Thank you so much. Rory, you _can't_ run off like that!"

Rory's eyes were moist with unshed tears. She squirmed in the stranger's arms, reaching now for her mother. Lorelai took her daughter gratefully, holding her against her chest. To the stranger she said, "I'm so sorry. She's normally so well behaved, but we've been travelling a lot these past couple days, and she's hungry, and-"

"Don't worry about it." The stranger flashed her a mega-watt smile. "It's okay."

"Right." Lorelai nodded. "Well…"

"I'm Clem," the man offered.

"Lorelai," she returned. "And this is my daughter, Rory."

Clem grabbed her the upturned stroller and pushed it, nodding for Lorelai to lead the way. Lorelai could see their hotel from the street, and she started in that direction, flashing Clem a grateful half-smile.

"What brings y'all to Tarpon Springs?"

Lorelai shrugged. "I'm looking for work, actually."

"Oh, really?" Clem raised an eyebrow at her. "What kinda work?"

"Anything I can find." Lorelai gave a self-conscious shrug. "Whatever will pay the bills, y'know?"

"Sure." Clem flashed his teeth at her. "Well, my uncle runs a museum downtown. I can give you the address if you like-he's always looking for tour guides."

"That'd be great!" Lorelai said. "Seriously? That would be so awesome."

"Here, let me write it down for you." Clem paused, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a gum wrapper and scribbled an address on the back of it, handing it to Lorelai. "Place's closed today-my uncle had to go to Tampa-but if you drop by in the morning, he should be there."

"I will definitely go by," Lorelai said. "Um, do you think he'll mind if I bring Rory with me tomorrow? I don't know about finding a sitter that quickly…"

"Nah." Clem shrugged. "My aunt watches a bunch of the girls' kids while they're on shift. I'm sure she'll be happy to watch Rory as well."

"Really?" Lorelai smiled, hugging Rory tight against her chest and smelling the Rory's green apple shampoo. "That's perfect. That…"

Clem grinned. "No worries, hon. We'll see you tomorrow!"

GGY1

 **February 5, 1986**

Luke felt odd as he climbed the stairs to Miss Patty's. He went to town meetings, but he avoided the place like the plague when any actual _dancing_ was going on. Little girls staring at him wearing practically nothing was about the most awkward thing he could imagine. Just now, though, he needed a little extra info.

"Hey, honey." Patty was on the top step smoking a cigarette from a theater-length holder.

"Hey." Luke shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Um. I just was wondering something."

"What's that?" Patty's eyes were on the ballerinas. "Audrey, fingers in the air not in your nose!"

"Right…" Luke shrugged uncomfortably and adjusted the hat on his head. "Well. Just, I was wondering if you knew anything about the Martinez family?"

Patty turned her head towards him, frowning. "What about them?"

"Just anything." Luke shrugged. "I just met Emanuel Martinez yesterday, and I was wondering…"

Patty nodded. "Well, they moved here last year-Lucinia Martinez and her seven kids. Manny's the oldest. He's a nice boy-same age as Mrs. Gleason's youngest, Kirk, and the only one in the whole class who doesn't give Kirk a hard time."

Luke didn't comment. The Gleason's were a weird lot-he'd been in school with Kierstyn Gleason, and he remembered her being a complete fruitcake.

"Last I heard they weren't doing so well, though," Patty continued. "I heard Lucinia lost her job-she was working as a maid at some big house in Hartford-and she's been having a real hard time getting another job. And it's just her with all those kids…"

Luke closed his eyes. That was the piece he'd been missing right there-the reason Manny had been so eager to find a job. It wasn't about Luke's diner at all: Manny was probably happy to find any job that would take him. Luke only hoped the boy was a hard worker, because he knew in that moment that he'd be hiring him.

GGY1

Lorelai had a job. She couldn't believe it-she'd expected it to take her weeks and most of her money, but she'd landed a job only three days away from her parents' house. She tried not to think too hard about what the job _was_. When Clem had said that his uncle owned a museum, Lorelai had been anticipating paintings and sculptures. Instead, she was a guide to Florida's most impressive _sponges._ Because apparently that was a thing in Tarpon Springs.

It didn't matter. She had a job! She started the next day-February 6th. It was a good day to start a job, Lorelai thought, wheeling Rory around in an excited circle outside the museum.

"Let's celebrate!" Lorelai said to her daughter. "What do you think? How about we go to the park, and then we get some ice cream?"

Rory clapped her hands with glee.

Lorelai set her daughter beside her. The grass outside the museum came up almost to the top of Rory's Weeboks. She clasped Rory's hand, grateful that today the giant backpack and the stroller were at the hotel. She had decided that Rory could walk today, or Lorelai could carry her. Strollers were nice, but Rory had been sitting for days, and Lorelai wanted her daughter to be able to enjoy the sunshine.

The park, when they got there, featured an imposing metal playground that was clearly meant for older kids. Lorelai winced looking at it, but when Rory pointed, she forced herself to smile. "Yes, honey. It's a playground. See the big slide?"

Rory nodded, her eyes wide, and then she popped her left thumb into her mouth.

"I know, it's big," Lorelai said. "How about we try the swings? Look, there's one with a front and back. That's for kids your size!"

Rory flashed a shy smile at Lorelai and then sprinted towards the swings. Laughing, Lorelai raced after her, dropping the diaper bag beside a picnic table and then scooping her daughter up and blowing a raspberry on her pale stomach. Rory squealed with laughter, squirming, and Lorelai plunked her into the baby swing.

"This is so cool," Lorelai said. "It's a ride. You have to hold on to the sides-grab them!"

Rory grabbed the two metal chains and stared at Lorelai, giving a toothy grin.

Lorelai laughed, pushing Rory gently. They'd only been to a playground once before-Emily was not a fan of germy places full of lots of kids. Rory had liked the swings the last time they'd been there together, too, but she was older now and more adventurous. She kicked her legs against the breeze, grinning widely. And that moment felt to Lorelai like their real first moment of freedom-happy, warm, and far away from Hartford.

GGY1

The bell over his diner door had been installed, and this time when the door opened at three o'clock, Luke knew. He stepped out of the back, nodding in recognition when he saw Manny again. The teenager had a backpack over one shoulder and a nervous look on his face.

"Hey," Luke said. "Manny, right? You still want that job?"

Manny nodded eagerly. "Yes, sir."

"Luke," Luke corrected. "And it's yours."

"Really?" Manny looked so eager it hurt.

Luke nodded. He'd spent his morning lull checking out Connecticut child labor laws. They weren't as strict as he'd assumed-up to 32 hours a week when school was in session, and up to six hours on school days. "What's your availability?"

"I get out of school at 2:45," Manny said. "I'm available otherwise-I don't do sports or anything. Whenever you want me."

Luke nodded. When he'd heard about Manny's family situation, he'd figured it would be something like that. He said, "All right. Well, I'll give you a regular schedule now, and we might need to adjust it later if things get busy at different times or something. Okay?"

Manny nodded. "Sure. Whatever works."

"All right." Luke thought for a second, making a show of writing the schedule out. Manny would be a help in his restaurant, but he was also aware of Manny's situation. He was a teenage boy, and he ought to be able to enjoy being a kid when possible. Plus he'd have homework on weekdays. In the end, Luke said, "All right. So, we'll do 4-8 Monday through Thursday. You can take Fridays off-hang out with your friends, whatever. Saturdays 12-8, and then Sundays 7-3. That work?"

"That's great!" Manny grinned. "Thank you so much. I won't let you down. When can I start?"

"You need to get a work permit from your school," Luke said. "Get me to sign it, get your principal to sign it. Once the paperwork is all sussed out, we'll get a start date together for you."

"Right." Manny nodded. "Right. That's awesome."

GGY1

 **February 6, 1986**

"Today's the day, little girl!" Lorelai was elated. She was showered and dressed before Rory even stirred-almost unheard of-and had finally had to crouch beside the bed and shake her daughter's shoulder.

Rory blinked at her tiredly.

"We have to get you dressed," Lorelai said. "Mommy has to go to work!"

Rory sighed and rolled over, one hand covering her eyes.

Lorelai shook her head. "C'mon. Let's get dressed. You can sleep in the stroller on the walk over if you want."

Rory said nothing and stared at Lorelai through mullish eyes, but she did sit up, and Lorelai guessed that was all she could ask of her little champion at this stage in the game.

"You want your red shirt or your blue shirt?" Lorelai asked, holding the two up. "The red one says _Greenday_ on it-it's a new band your daddy likes. And the blue one has the logo for the _Offspring_. That's another band your daddy likes. Your daddy picked both of these shirts."

Band t-shirts were about the only thing Christopher had contributed to his daughter thus far. Lorelai couldn't fault him for it. One of them had to step up to the plate with Rory, but once it was clear to both of them that it was going to be Lorelai, Chris had sort of stepped away.

Rory stared at her, her eyes moist with exhaustion.

"Let's go with the red one," Lorelai decided. "It's probably a little less off-putting than the skull and bolts. We don't want the other kids to be scared of you."

"Scawe," Rory agreed. She scrubbed at her eyes with her tiny fists and then held her arms up in the air so Lorelai could exchange her PJ top for the t-shirt.

GGY1

"Emily, please." Richard hated how helpless his voice sounded. "You have to eat something."

"I'm not hungry." She was staring at the wall. She'd been lying in the same spot, staring at the same wall, for days. She hadn't touched her food. Richard was sure she'd lost five pounds since Lorelai had left.

"Please, Emily." His mother had been the same way after his father passed, and Richard felt suddenly as though he were twelve years old again, trying to convince his mom to try for him. Once again, he wasn't enough, and he didn't know what to do about it.

Emily closed her eyes. "Leave me, Richard."

GGY1

The bell above the diner door rang. By this point Luke knew to expect the sound. He called from the kitchen "Out in sec!" and finished counting the patties in the freezer before heading out front. Sure enough, Manny Martinez was in the diner, resting his arms on the counter and looking politely bored. He straightened when Luke came out, flashing him a look that was half-guilty.

"Nice to see you, Manny," Luke said evenly.

"I got the form from school." Manny swung a battered backpack off his shoulders and dug through it. A moment later he pulled out a piece of paper and slid it across the counter to Luke.

Luke frowned, reading it, and then filled his portion in quickly. He raised his eyes to Manny's face. "It's just minimum wage. You okay with that?"

"Yeah." Manny nodded eagerly. "Absolutely."

Luke slid the form back to Manny. "You can start next week if you want-Monday."

"Thank you!" Manny grinned. "You won't be disappointed-I'll be the best worker you've ever had!"

Luke watched the boy leave, not bothering to point out that Manny would be the only worker he'd ever had.

GGY1

"And that brings you to our finger sponges," Lorelai said. "Like human fingerprints-or snowflakes-no two are quite alike. They're mainly used for decorations in homes and aquariums. We have several available in our gift shop, which is just around the corner. Have a great day."

The group she'd been giving the tour to included an older couple and an impatient-looking twelve-year-old boy she was betting was their grandson. She couldn't blame him for yawning during her presentation-it was on sponges. The grandparents were oblivious. They chatted animatedly with him about the sponges as they led the way down the hall towards the gift shop. Lorelai rolled her eyes and then went back the lobby. Clem and his family lived in an apartment above the museum. Lorelai checked out with the receptionist-tours were done for the day, but the receptionist had to stay an extra half an hour so that the last stragglers could get through the gift shop-and then she climbed up the stairs.

Rory was on the floor of the living room flipping through a picture book. There were three other kids in the room whom she was studiously ignoring, but she looked up when Lorelai came in, and a delighted look lighted her small face. "Ma!"

"Rory, baby!" Lorelai scooped her daughter up and held her close. "Did you have a good day? Did you have fun?"

"Bajajajaa," Rory gibbered cheerfully.

Clem wandered into the room. His hair was wet as if he'd just showered and his shirt was sticking to his chest. He smiled when he saw Lorelai. "Hey! How'd the first day go?"

"It was great." Lorelai bounced Rory as she spoke, her focus more on her daughter than on Clem.

"I thought I could take you out for a drink to celebrate," Clem said. "How's that sound?"

"Oh." Lorelai blinked at him. "That's really nice, Clem, but I was actually planning to take Rory to the library tonight."

"Take her tomorrow," Clem said. "Aunt Mad won't mind watching her a bit longer. It's just one drink."

"That's really nice," Lorelai said. "But Rory's had kind of a tough week and I really want to spend some one on one time with her."

A hard look drifted into Clem's eyes for a moment. It was gone so quickly Lorelai wondered if she'd imagined it, replaced by that easy smile once more. "Sure. Next time, then."

"Yeah, next time," Lorelai agreed blandly. "I'm gonna take off. Tell Madeline thanks for watching Rory for me."

"Sure thing," Clem said.

Lorelai scooped Rory's diaper bag from beside the couch, waved at the two kids still sitting on the floor, and then went back downstairs. Rory was clapping her hands and jabbering excitedly.

"We're gonna grab some dinner at the market," Lorelai told Rory. "And then we'll hit the library before bedtime, okay?"

Rory replied by sticking her thumb in her mouth and grinning at Lorelai.


	2. Of Maids and Sponges

_**A/N: I hope you guys like this chapter. It's a little drama-y. I've edited it in a couple places since first posting... Let me know how you feel about it. Reviews are super appreciated!**_

 **February 9, 1986**

Sunday morning Lorelai awoke to the sound of rain pelting the windows of the apartment. She was glad, suddenly, that she'd checked a couple of movies out when she and Rory went to the library Thursday night. She made coffee and sifted through the movies while she waited for Rory to wake up. The museum was closed on Sundays, and she and Rory could hang out in their PJs all day if they wanted.

Rory's eyes fluttered open just as Lorelai was stirring sugar and creamer into her coffee. She'd never had coffee before leaving her parents' house, and she'd hated the taste when she'd first tried it, but coffee was a free hotel perk and felt more substantial than water, and the taste was growing on her. She took a sip, smiling as Rory pushed herself upright on the bed.

"Hi," Rory said shyly.

"Hi, sweets." Lorelai set the styrofoam cup down on the dresser. "Guess what we're gonna do today? We're gonna have a movie day! I got a bunch of Disney greats- _The Great Mouse Detective, The Black Cauldron, The Fox and the Hound, The Rescuers, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh_ … It's going to be the best day ever!"

"Yay!" Rory clapped her hands happily.

"And it's rainy and icky out, so we're gonna stay inside," Lorelai said. "Which means junk food and yummy juice, 'cause that's all we've got in the backpack."

"Umnums," Rory agreed cheerfully.

"Right." Lorelai pulled out a box of poptarts and selected a movie. She popped it into the VCR and then hopped onto the bed beside her daughter. The shiny wrapper glistened in the harsh light of the hotel room. It made a delightful crinkling sound as she pulled it away, revealing two strawberry poptarts. She broke one into pieces for Rory, laying the pieces out on a pillow for Rory to grab from. The other one she ate herself as she flipped the TV on and turned to the movie.

"Whazat?" Rory pointed to the screen.

"That's Winnie the Pooh _,_ " Lorelai said. "He's a yellow bear. Watch-he's silly."

Rory crammed a bit of pop tart in her mouth and stared in silent fascination at the screen.

GGY1

After the breakfast rush died down Luke stepped out into Stars Hollow. He locked the diner behind him and loped across the street to Fran's Bakery. Diner food was great and all, but he hadn't perfected baked goods yet, and he was dying for one of Fran's cranberry walnut cookies. Before he made it to the door, however, he heard voices coming from the alley between the bakery and one of the niche-y tourist shops Luke spent most of his day ignoring.

"-smells funny, Manny." The voice was high pitched-the voice of a child.

"I know." The second voice was one Luke recognized. It belonged to Manny Martinez. "It'll be okay. It's like broccoli-remember how bad that smells, but it doesn't taste so bad once you plug your nose? It'll be like that."

Luke scowled. He stepped closer to the alley and peered down it. Three children stood at the end, surrounding a teenager whose form he knew too well. Their backs were to him, but that didn't prevent Luke from seeing what they were doing. The thought of it made his stomach churn. Who the hell was in charge of these kids?

"Hey." Luke's voice came out calm, and he was rather proud. He did not feel calm.

All four kids whipped around to stare at him. The youngest three were wide-eyed and scared. Manny pulled them closer to himself. He wouldn't meet Luke's eyes.

"C'mon." Luke nodded his head towards the diner.

"Luke…" Manny's eyes flicked to his face, and for a moment he looked as scared as his siblings.

"I'll make you some burgers," Luke said. It was the only thing he could think to do.

GGY1

Sundays used to be family days in the Gilmore household. When Richard got out of bed in the morning, he knew that there was no point in asking Emily to get out of bed with him. She had been checked out since Lorelai took Rory nearly a week prior, and Sunday was not the day she was going to come back to him.

He went downstairs instead, made polite chit-chat with the maid, and ate his breakfast alone. Because there was no Emily there to talk to, he found himself reaching for the newspaper, scanning its contents as he slowly worked his way through the plate of food that had been prepared for him. He told himself that there was nothing at all lonely about the silence. He told himself that it was peaceful-that it gave him a chance to read the paper without Rory grabbing for it or Emily scolding him.

Sighing, Richard folded the paper and set it at the end of the table. He went to his office instead. He didn't normally work at home, but what the hell? Just this once, he'd get himself ahead at the office. Maybe make some calls…

GGY1

Luke pulled Manny aside while his younger siblings were eating. "Does this happen a lot?"

Manny shrugged. "It's not too bad. With this job, it'll get better."

"There's eight of you in the house?" There were only four in the diner right now, but Patty had said that Manny was one of seven, and she was usually on top of things.

Manny nodded. "The others went over to friends' houses for the days. They're friends parents will feed them. It's not that bad, honest. It doesn't usually…"

Luke could tell that Manny was feeling uncomfortable. He felt like he should call someone-let someone know that the kids weren't eating enough. But Manny did have a job now, and maybe things would get better. It was clear that Manny loved his siblings, and Luke wasn't sure the boy would forgive him for turning the family over to DHS. Surely his mother would find a new job sometime soon anyway.

"Look," Luke said. "If you guys need food, just come here. Okay? I don't want you digging through dumpsters."

"You've already done enough giving me the job," Manny said. "We'll be _fine_."

Luke shook his head. "Promise me, Manny. Promise me you'll come here, or I can't in good conscience let you guys…"

Manny swallowed. It was clear that he understood the intent of Luke's half-completed thought. "Okay. I get it. Okay."

"You promise?" Luke said.

And, staring at the toes of his trainers, Manny nodded his head.

GGY1

 **February 10, 1986**

Lorelai and Rory had been gone for one week. In the past seven days, Emily felt as if she had died-as if she had disappeared from the world when her daughter and granddaughter disappeared from the house. She kept wondering what she could have done differently. She went over every fight she and Lorelai had over the past not-quite-eighteen years. She had been trying to do right by Lorelai-had been trying to be a good mother, a good role model.

Emily slid from the bed at quarter to nine Monday morning. Walking from the bedroom to the bathroom just a few feet away seemed to take an enormous effort. It was the first time she'd been out of bed, except to use the toilet, in seven days. She crouched beside the tub and turned the water all the way on hot. The steam felt good on her face, and for a moment she felt almost like her old self-almost alive.

A noise behind her had her turning, searching the shadows for her daughter. It was only the maid, a timid, useless thing Emily hadn't had the energy to fire yet. She stood in the doorway to the bathroom, her eyes wide as if she had seen something indecent despite the fact that Emily was still in her dressing gown.

"Change the sheets, Miriam," Emily commanded. The command felt familiar in her mind, but the words were missing their usual air of authority.

The maid left, closing the door behind her. Emily pulled off her dressing gown, letting it fall around her on the tile floor. She stepped into the bathtub, the water almost unbearably hot against her skin. She didn't mind. The pain seemed to bring her into herself for the first time in a week. She wondered, for the first time, if the neighbors had noticed Lorelai's absence, and if so what they might be saying about it. She wondered if Richard had mentioned his daughter's disappearance at the office. She wondered of Stroeb and Francine, and of Christopher...

Emily closed her eyes. She ought to begin going on with her life, she knew. She ought to get dressed today, go downstairs and see about responding to some of the charities that had been asking after her and Richard. Maybe she would see about joining the DAR-she'd been wanting to join for years, but had been too busy with Lorelai and then with Rory.

But when Emily finally finished her bath and got out, it was to dry herself off and go back to bed. The sheets were clean, and Emily was in a newly laundered dressing gown, but once she was back in bed any progress that she'd made that morning seemed to slip away into nothing, the same way her daughter had slipped away.

She had lost everything.

GGY1

"You're on cleaning this week." Clem said the words as soon as Lorelai came down from dropping Rory off upstairs.

Lorelai shook her head, feeling off-guard. "Okay."

"Sponge cleaning." Clem's eyes flicked up to her face for a moment. There was an expression in his eyes that Lorelai didn't quite understand. "We harvested a new batch of sponges-they brought them in this morning. Everyone has to take a turn cleaning sponges. It's your week."

"Sure." Lorelai made herself smile pleasantly. She'd known when she left her parents' house that the work would be hard and sometimes unsavory. That wasn't the point. If she had to clean ocean slime off sponges to show that she was a team player, that's what she would do.

Clem sighed. He seemed irritated. He jammed a thumb towards the hallway. "They're in the back room behind the gift shop."

"Right." Lorelai smiled again and then started down the hallway. She didn't bother to tell him that she didn't know the first thing about cleaning sponges. She had been raised by Emily Gilmore, the Queen of Cleanliness. If anyone could figure out how to clean a sponge, Lorelai was sure that she could. She wasn't going to give Clem any reason to be _more_ irritated-though she wasn't sure why he was irritated in the first place.

When she got into the back room, however, Lorelai was struck by the overpowering smell of the ocean. She closed her eyes, her stomach rolling in a way that it hadn't since back before Rory was born.

Clem's uncle was in the back, already beginning to unload. He grinned when he saw Lorelai. "Your turn to clean, huh? Don't worry-it's not as bad as it looks."

"I'm not worried." Lorelai forced a smile. "I think I just would have worn different clothes if I'd known this was what I was doing."

"There's aprons on the wall." The man had pleasant eyes and an easy smile. Lorelai could see Clem in him, but Clem's uncle seemed more genuine somehow, and she felt at ease around him. She flashed him a smile of her own and went to grab an apron. Her supply of clean clothes was limited, and going to the Laundromat would require using money that she didn't really have.

"Grab a set of gloves, too," the old man said. "You don't want the salt getting all over your hands."

"Thanks for the tip." Lorelai hated wearing gloves-they always felt hot on the inside-but if he said that was the way to do this, that was the way she was going to do it. She wouldn't be able to pick up her kid if her hands had chafed away. Smiling, she approached Clem's uncle for a lesson on cleaning sponges.

GGY1

Manny came into the diner before his shift. He eyed Luke silently for a moment before taking a seat at an unoccupied table in the corner and pulling out his homework. Luke frowned, not knowing what to take of the young boy in front of him. He'd worked when he was in high school, and had even taken care of his sister the best he knew how, for all the good that did him. Manny was something else, though. He took care of six younger siblings, kept up his grades, and now he was going to attempt to work on top of it? Luke wasn't sure how the boy could keep up. He was only sixteen. Luke, at twenty-three, wasn't sure he could handle that much responsibility.

He made a burger, silently, and set it down on the table beside Manny.

Manny looked up from his homework, his eyes wide. He bit his lower lip for a moment, seemingly unsure what to say.

"Twenty minutes until your shift starts," Luke said. "I figure you can eat now and then I can take a break after the dinner rush before you go home for the night."

"Thanks." Manny smiled briefly, nervously.

"Don't worry about it." Luke went back to the counter, scrubbing the surface with a cloth so that he didn't have to think about how thin Manny was or how wide his eyes had been when Luke had set down the burger. How long had his mother been out of work?

GGY1

Lorelai scrubbed her arms in the bathroom sink. The smell of the ocean had worked its way into her nostrils, and she could no longer tell if she smelled or not. She sighed, noticing that her arms were beginning to turn pink, and gave it up as a lost cause, hoping she'd feel better when she got home and changed clothes.

Lorelai turned towards the door and almost jumped out of her skin. Clem was there, leaning against the doorframe with an unreadable look in his eyes. He smirked when he saw her. "Tough day?"

"Not really." Lorelai shrugged, planting a bland smile on her face. "I thought it was kind of relaxing, actually. Your uncle's a nice guy."

Clem scowled for a moment, and then he shook his head and the look was gone, his easy smile on his face once more.

"I gotta go." Lorelai raised her eyebrows at him. "I have to get my kid."

"Sure." Clem stepped aside.

As she was walking past, Clem reached out, catching her wrist. "I wanted to ask you something."

"What's that?" Lorelai felt a knot building in her stomach. The more she was around Clem the less comfortable she felt.

"A couple of the girls who work here wanted to take you down to the pier on Thursday," Clem said. "To celebrate you being here for a week."

"That's not a question," Lorelai said.

"I wanted to know if you'd go for that," Clem said. "I know you've got Rory, but it could be really beneficial for you to get in on the social life here. Especially if you're planning on sticking around."

Lorelai thought through that. She didn't like Clem, but that didn't mean that he was wrong. It could be good to have some friends here. Rory seemed fine with Madeline upstairs, but what if Lorelai needed a babysitter some other time? Besides, it would be healthy for Rory to see her mother having some sort of social life, right?

"It sounds like fun," Lorelai said. "I'd be up for it as long as Madeline didn't mind watching Rory for a little longer."

Clem smiled, and this time the smile seemed to reach his eyes. "Great. I'm sure she'll be fine with it."

"I'll ask her when I get Rory." Lorelai tugged her wrist gently away from him and walked past him towards the stairs.

GGY1

Miriam was at the door to greet Richard when he got home from work. She tugged his jacket gently from his shoulders, her fingertips brushing against his neck for the barest moment. Richard closed his eyes. It had been a week since he'd had even that much contact from his wife. She lay upstairs in the bed like a dead thing, cold and unfeeling.

"Mrs. Gilmore took a bath today." Miriam's voice was a bare whisper.

Richard opened his eyes. "She did?"

Miriam nodded. "For nearly half an hour. I was able to change the sheets."

"That's great." Richard smiled. "Good for her."

Miriam's returning smile was shy and fleeting. "I've made steak for dinner. Would you like me to serve it on the table, or would you rather I bring it to you in the office."

"The office will be fine," Richard said. He hated being in the dining room now-it was too lonely. In the office he could pretend that he was on his own by choice.

GGY1

Manny touched the plate, and nearly dropped it. "Wow, that's hot!"

Luke had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. When you cooked, heat was a hazard of the job. His hands hardly noticed the heat any more-even before he opened the diner, he'd been cooking for a long time, taking care of his sister and his father.

"Sorry, Luke." Manny gave him an anxious look.

"It's okay." Luke swallowed. "There's hot mitts on the wall. Use them-and tell the customers the plates are hot."

"Right." Manny grabbed the mitts and picked the plate up again. He walked slowly to the table, seemingly afraid that he was going to dump the plate. It wasn't a bad fear. In the time since he'd been there, Manny had broken three dishes and upended four more.

Luke flipped a burger, wondering what to do about that. It was clear that the boy was willing to work, and he was even trying hard, but Luke had never seen anyone quite so _clumsy_. He wondered if that was the sort of thing that got better with time. Maybe when Manny was more comfortable here he'd be a little less... Manny. Luke could only hope; otherwise this was going to be a long employment period. It wasn't like he could fire the kid.

GGY1

 **February 13, 1986**

"Miriam, have you seen my gloves?" Richard was in the foyer, a frown etched across his features.

The maid entered from the dining room, his gloves in hand. "I have them. Here."

He took the gloves from her, and as he did so their fingers touched for the barest heartbeat. Richard swallowed-his mouth was suddenly dry-and he turned quickly away from her. Emily was getting better every day, he reminded himself. Yesterday she'd been sitting up when he got into bed, and she'd showered twice now. She would return to him soon, he was sure. Any day now.

"Don't forget you have that conference call today at one," Miriam said. "I've packed you a lunch so that you'll have time to eat before then."

"Thank you," Richard said sincerely.

"Absolutely." Miriam's shyness seemed to have disappeared. She smiled with confidence now, her dark eyes crinkling.

"I'll be home around five," Richard told her. He wasn't sure why he said it.

"Dinner will be on the table at six," Miriam replied evenly.

GGY1

The phone rang just as Manny was putting on his apron. Luke pointed towards the broom for Manny's sake before grabbing the receiver off the wall. "Yeah. _Luke's_."

"Hey, big brother!" Liz was on the other end, her voice full of the sort of false happiness that tended to mean she'd royally screwed something up.

"Hey, Liz." Luke leaned against the back counter, biting back a sigh. When their dad had gotten sick, Liz had just taken off. His dad had told him not to hold a grudge, and Luke had tried really hard in the time since his father died to learn not to hate her, but it was hard going. The wounds were still fresh.

"You wanna say hi to your nephew?" Liz asked. Before Luke had time to respond, Liz's voice had faded somewhat. He could hear her cooing, "Say hi to your Uncle Luke-y. Say _hi_. Say _hiii_."

Luke rolled his eyes, tugging on the brim of his baseball cap.

"He's just sort of gnawing on his thumb," Liz says. "But he didn't cry, and Jess is a _very_ opinionated baby. I think he likes you!"

"Liz..."

"I'm serious!" Liz said.

"Manny, you gotta move the chairs and sweep _under_ the tables," Luke called. In the phone he said, "Liz, you calling for a reason?"

"I just wanted to make sure you had my new number and my new address," Liz said.

"You moved again?"

"Yeah." There was a practiced casualty in his sister's voice. "Well. Johnny kicked me out."

"Why?"

"He wasn't a big fan of the crying and the diaper changes... You know. The usual stuff."

Luke shook his head. "He knew you had a kid when you moved in."

"I know," Liz said. "It's no big deal."

"He's a jerk," Luke said.

"It's no big deal!" Liz repeated. "Seriously, big brother. I just wanted to make sure you had our current info. Seriously. I don't need you to turn this into one of your things."

"What do you mean, one of my things?"

"Your _things_ ," Liz said. "You turn everything into a thing. This doesn't have to be a thing."

Luke rolled his eyes. He had no idea what she was babbling about. He grabbed his notepad and a pencil. "All right. Whatever. You have new contact info. Go ahead."

GGY1

"Okay." Lorelai crouched beside her daughter after work. "I'm going out with a couple of my coworkers. You're gonna stay here with Madeline, and I'll come back after. I won't be gone that long."

Rory's eyes were wide and accusing.

Lorelai sighed, brushing the hair away from Rory's face. She had half a mind to skip this thing altogether-she really ought to be apartment hunting; the hotel was costing her a _load_. She hesitated for a moment, and then she reminded herself that she needed to make some friends if this place was ever going to be home. She pressed a kiss to Rory's pale forehead. "I'll be back."

Rory cried as Lorelai walked away as she did every morning when Lorelai went to work. This time it was harder to hear. She didn't _have_ to go. But it was just one night-it wasn't like she was ignoring her kid. She closed her eyes and kept walking, telling herself that this _was_ best for Rory. She was modeling healthy behavior. That was important.

When she got to the pier, it was dark. None of her coworkers had shown up yet. Lorelai found that she was okay with that. It was kind of peaceful on the water like this. She could hear the waves lapping against the wooden legs of the pier. She sat down, tugged her sneakers off, and set them beside her, and then she dipped her feet in the water. She was startled by how _warm_ it was. The last time she'd dipped her feet in the ocean she'd been in Maine with her parents. The water had been so cold that day that she'd felt momentarily paralyzed by it. Here the water was so warm it could have been a bath.

There were footsteps, hard and slow, behind her. Lorelai turned, pressing her hand down on the pier. Clem was approaching, the street lights throwing him half in shadow. He was alone. Lorelai felt something uneasy in the pit of her stomach. His lope was...off, somehow.

"Lorelai." Clem smirked, and in the lighting it looked ghastly. "Pretty name."

"Thanks." Moving more on instinct than anything else, Lorelai pulled her feet out of the water. She dried them off, moving slowly, and pulled on her socks and her shoes.

"Been waiting a week to get you alone." Clem stumbled for a step, and Lorelai finally realized what was off about him: He was drunk.

"Get me alone?" Lorelai pushed herself to her feet. "I thought a bunch of people were going to be here tonight."

"I lied." Clem laughed. His teeth shone, white and perfect, in the night light.

Lorelai shook her head. He was between her and the road; she had to keep him talking. "Why would you want me alone, Clem?"

"I got you the job," Clem said. "I saved your stupid little kid. You _owe_ me. And then you wouldn't even go for a drink with me..."

"I have a daughter." Lorelai stepped to the left, hoping to get around him.

"You're a teenager," Clem said. "You don't have a kid at your age unless you're _easy_. I just wanted _one_ drink."

"You don't have a kid at my age without learning not to be easy." Lorelai took another step. She could smell the whiskey on him. For a moment she was reminded of Christopher-the night they'd conceived Rory, he'd been drunk as well. She pushed the thought out of her head, taking another careful step.

Clem lurched for her, his steps uneven. Lorelai ducked. He kept stumbling. Without giving herself time to think about it, Lorelai pushed on his back. He went into the water with a satisfying SPLASH, and then Lorelai was sprinting up the hill towards the sponge museum.

Two hours later she was on a bus, Rory held closely against her chest. She stared out the window as Tarpon Springs receded behind them. She had her paycheck tucked into her back pocket. It didn't even begin to make up for the amount of money she'd spent on the hotel that week. Now, safely in the bus away from Clem, she could feel the tears beginning to pool in her eyes.

Rory turned to face her. She set one tiny hand against Lorelai's cheek. "Mumma?"

"Don't worry, honey." Lorelai kissed Rory's little hand. "That place was just too spongey for us. Our home isn't with all those sponges."

Rory nodded as if that made sense, and then she curled up against Lorelai's chest to fall asleep. Lorelai leaned her head back against the seat. They were heading for Georgia. It was a big state. There had to be something for them in Georgia.


End file.
